5 Baltimore Ravens free agents that won’t be back in 2022

1. Brandon Williams, DT, Ravens

Brandon Williams has been a stalwart on the Ravens defensive line for the better part of the last decade. But at age 32, it’s clear to most that he isn’t the same player he used to be.

Far from it, in fact.

Williams has played seven games this season, and has largely been a liability and a major catalyst behind the Ravens’ struggling run defense.

His 45.6 Pro Football Focus grade ranks 110th out of 123rd qualified interior defensive linemen. What’s worse is that his run defense, long known as the strength of his game, has been his biggest weakness.

Williams has earned an abysmal 34.0 PFF run-defense grade in 2021 that ranks 128th out of 134 qualifiers. On top of that, he’s missed 20 percent of his tackle attempts.

That combined with the fact that he’s playing on the final year of the five-year, $52.5 million extension he signed prior to the 2017 season makes it pretty clear that the Ravens likely won’t look to bring him back.

Expect Baltimore to undergo somewhat of a youth movement along the defensive line in the offseason with Williams, Justin Ellis, and Calais Campbell all on expiring contracts.

Of the three, Williams is easily the most likely not to return in 2022.

He’s been a cornerstone of the defense for a long time now. But Brandon Williams is likely playing out his final few games with the Ravens organization.